Advanced Placement Psychology, 2016-2017 Textbook: Myers Psychology for AP, 2 st ed. New York: Worth, 2014 Supplemental Reading: Hock, Roger R. Forty Studies that Changed Psychology: Explorations into the History of Psychological Research, 5 th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2005 Case studies, journals, newspapers, and verifiable web articles that pertain to the assigned unit of study Supplies: three ring binder for regular assignments 14 binder dividers college ruled paper pen & pencil (for FRQs) charged laptop Teacher Resources Halgin, Richard P. Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Controversial Issues in Abnormal Psychology, 3 rd ed. Dubuque, Iowa: McGraw- Hill, 2005 Nier, Jason A. Taking Sides: Clashing Views in Social Psychology, 2 nd ed. Dubuque, Iowa: McGraw- Hill, 2007 Slife, Brent. Taking Sides: Clashing Views in Psychological Issues, 14 th ed. Dubuque, Iowa: McGraw- Hill, 2006 Purpose The purpose of this AP Psychology course is to introduce students to the study of the behavior and mental processes of the human mind. This class will prepare students sufficiently for the AP Psychology Examination in May. Assignments For each unit, students must complete to the instructor s satisfaction these regular assignments (additional information below): Vocabulary DEPs (Delate, Example, Picture) Reading Notes/Outlines (from the text and other sources) Demonstration and Case Study analyses Free Responses Questions Each unit will require the completion of vocabulary DEPs, reading outline/notes, and other projects: Vocabulary DEPs- from a list of terms and commonly used psychological vocabulary, the student is expected to not only define the term, but also create an example and choose a visual representation of the term.
FRQs (Free Response Questions)- each Topic will be accompanied by a free response question. As the Topic is learned, the student will be prepared to answer the question fully and critically. Reading Notes/Outline- Reading is a large part of this class. Students are required to read the text and other supplemental readings, and they must take notes on what they read. These notes are to go beyond basic annotations; they must reflect their thoughts and understanding of the topic that is being learned. Expectations There are several requirements that all Advanced Placement classes have in common; high expectations of the students, a high level of rigor, and the expectation that students will partake in self- learning outside the classroom. There are many topics that may be covered on the AP exam in May. I will cover a great deal of that material in class and provide rigorous learning activities. However, as in college, it is necessary for all students to partake in assigned activities at home that we may not cover in class. Assessments Unit tests are multiple choice and FRQ based. Practice exams cover all AP content and are graded according to what portion of the exam we have covered in class. Grading categories Summative (Unit tests, FRQ) 55% Formative (quiz, projects, HW) 45% Units of Study and Objectives Unit 1: History and Approaches of Psychology I highly encourage students and parents to take advantage of Skyward, the online site to access grades. It can be accessed from any device connected to the internet. Students will be using Haiku to access all course information. Psychology s Roots Trace the views of prescientific thinkers regarding the origins of knowledge and how the mind and body relate. Discuss early psychologists efforts to understand the structure and functions of the mind. Identify the nature and scope of contemporary psychology. Contemporary Psychology Describe psychology s concerns regarding stability and change, rationality and irrationality, nature and nurture. Describe and identify the different perspectives from which psychologists examine behavior and mental processes, and explain their complementarity. Identify some of the basic and applied research subfields of psychology, and differentiate the mental health professions of clinical psychology and psychiatry.
Unit 2: Research Methods: Thinking Critically with Psychological Science Describe the limits of everyday intuition and common sense in regards to hindsight bias and overconfidence. Describe the important characteristics of the scientific approach and show how it promotes critical thinking. Compare and contrast case studies, surveys, and naturalistic observation and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each. Describe correlations and explain how they can aid the process of prediction and how they fail to provide evidence of cause- effect relationships. Identify the basic elements of an experiment. Describe the three measures of central tendency and the measures of variation. Discuss ethics in research, and how personal values can influence research and its application. Unit 3: Biological Bases of Behavior Describe the structure of a neuron, explain how neural impulses are generated, and discuss the importance of neurotransmitters and drugs on human behavior. Identify the major divisions of the nervous system and describe their functions. Identify the different parts of the brain and explain the functions of each. Describe how twin and adoption studies help us differentiate hereditary and environmental influences on human traits. Unit 4: Sensation and Perception Contrast the processes of sensation and perception. Distinguish between absolute and difference thresholds. Identify the major components of the visual and auditory system and the function of each. Explain the Young- Hemholtz and opponent- process theories of color vision. Identify the senses of touch, taste, and smell, discuss their differences and the nature of sensory interaction. Distinguish between kinesthesis and the vestibular sense. Discuss Gestalt psychology s contribution to our understanding of perception. Analyze depth perception and identify the different visual cues. Discuss the effects of experiences, assumptions, expectations, and context on our perceptions.
Unit 5: States of Consciousness Describe the nature of biological rhythms, including the sleep cycle, and describe the nature and functions of dreams. Identify the major sleep Identify the effects of depressants, stimulants, and hallucinogenic drugs, including the psychological and physiological effects. Unit 6: Learning Describe the principles and processes involved in classical conditioning. Describe the principles and processes involved in operant conditioning. Describe and explain the processes of acquisition, extinction, spontaneous recovery, generalization, and discrimination. Compare the various forms of reinforcement and punishment. Explain how biology and cognition influences learning. Describe observational learning. Unit 7: Cognition Describe the processes involved in the encoding, storage, and retrieval in memory. Describe forgetting and memory construction. Describe the processes involved in the encoding, storage, and retrieval in memory. Describe forgetting and memory construction. Discuss how we use trial and error, algorithms, heuristics, and insight to solve problems. Describe the structure of language in terms of sounds, meanings, and grammar. Discuss the relationship between thought and language. Analyze the research on animal cognition and communication. Unit 8: Motivation and Emotion Describe motivation, and identify the theories of motivation. Describe the physiological influences of hunger. Discuss the importance of various motives for working. Describe achievement motivation and how it is measured. Compare intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Identify and compare the three theories of emotion. Describe the physiological changes that occur during emotional arousal.
Describe the catharsis hypothesis. Describe the biological response to stress. Identify the major concerns of health psychology. Describe the biology of the fight or flight response to stress and the physical characteristics and phases of GAS. Sources of stress & how stress influences disease risk Identify and discuss different strategies for coping with stress. Unit 9: Developmental Psychology Trace the course of physical development from conception to infancy to puberty and beyond. Discuss the course of cognitive and social development in infancy, childhood, and adolescence. Describe Piaget s view of how the mind develops, and discuss his stage theory of cognitive development. Describe adolescents growing reasoning power, and discuss how moral behavior is affected by moral reasoning (Kohlberg), emotional intuitions, and social influences. Describe physical, cognitive, and social changes in adulthood. Compare longitudinal and cross- sectional studies, and discuss their advantages and disadvantages in developmental psychology. Unit 10: Personality Describe how the different psychological perspectives approach the study of psychology. Discuss the personality structure and interactions of the id, ego, and superego. Describe the impact of individualism and collectivism on self- identity. Unit 11: Testing and Individual Differences Trace the origins of intelligence testing. Describe the nature and nurture aspects that influence intelligence. Identify the factors associated with creativity. Describe the reliability and validity of various intelligence tests. Describe test standardization. Describe the normal distribution of intelligence scores.
Unit 12: Abnormal Psychology Identify the criteria psychologists use to diagnose psychological Describe the aims of the DSM- 5, and discuss the potential dangers associated with the use of diagnostic labels. Describe the characteristics and possible causes of mood Describe the characteristics and possible causes of anxiety Describe the characteristics and possible causes of somatoform Describe the characteristics and possible causes of dissociative Describe the characteristics of and possible causes and different types of schizophrenia. Describe the characteristics and possible causes of personality Describe the characteristics and possible causes of brain- based Unit 13: Treatment of Psychological Disorders Discuss the goals and methods of psychoanalysis. Identify the basic characteristics and goals of humanistic, client- centered, behavior, cognitive, and group therapies. Discuss the different treatment options for the various types of psychological Unit 14: Social Psychology Describe the importance of attribution in social behavior. Discuss the results of experiments on conformity, and distinguish between normative and informational social influences. Describe what causes social facilitation, social loafing, deindividuation, group polarization, and groupthink. Describe the factors that contribute to the persistence of cultural, ethnic, and gender prejudice and discrimination. Describe what has an impact on aggressive behavior. Describe what influences interpersonal attraction. The Course Plan is subject to change pending unforeseen circumstances.